Why the food industry hates you to miss breakfast

The Good Life Letter

Why soap nuts are back – scroll down for good news if you want allergy-free cleaning

Myths are important.

They’re stories handed down through the ages, from generation to generation.

In the days before the written word, they were the only true way to preserve cultural ideas.

Which is why most civilisations have founding myths. For instance, Ancient Greeks thrived on the legends of Perseus, Odysseus and Icarus.

And of course, we British have King Arthur, Robin Hood and St George and the Dragon.

However, what you might not realise is this…

Myths are still a thing.

They pervade our everyday reality and shape our view of the world, often without us realising.

You see, a lot of what we think is objectively true, because it’s “common knowledge”, is actually a myth, handed down from generation to generation, just like old Greek myths or German fairy tales.

This goes for a lot of health “truths”.

For instance, the idea that coffee sobers you up. So many people assume this to be true, it would be the first thing they offered to a friend who was worse for wear.

But studies show that while caffeine can counteract a little of the tiredness you have when drunk, it doesn’t reduce drunkenness and it doesn’t sharpen up your brain so that you can focus again.

Then there was “never drink milk when you have a cold” because it increases the production of mucus.

Simply not true.

You might also be surprised to know that “feed a cold, starve a fever” is also a myth. It comes from the fact that your appetite gets lower during fever, in which case your body doesn’t want food.

And what about “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”?

That’s another classic.

The breakfast myth revealed

We’re told that breakfast kickstarts your metabolism, supplies you with essential energy for the morning, feeds your brain and keeps you feeling full to lunchtime.

It’s VITAL we are told. And you’ll find many people will tut at you if you admit you missed breakfast that day.

But there’s a growing body of evidence that suggests that you can skip breakfast.

An Asian Oceanian Association Study of Obesity in 2014 showed that there is no difference in the number of calories burned in a 24-hour period between people who eat breakfast or skip it.

It could even make you healthier.

Research shows that intermittent fasting can:

Increase the levels of catecholamines in your brain, helping you feel happier. It also increases the number of brain cells.

Help brain cells recycle waste materials and repair themselves.

Boost levels of a protein known as BNF which interacts with parts of the brain responsible for memory and learning.

Improve self-control when it comes to food, helping you avoid over-eating, impulse snacking and weight gain.

So in a fasting diet where you miss breakfast and lunch a few times a week, you could actually see a lot of benefit.
If that sounds strange, think about this…

Our primal ancestors didn’t wake up and immediately eat a meal. And if they did, it would most likely be fruit or nuts, not a massive bowl of cornflakes or a pile of toast.

So why does the breakfast myth persist?

It’s not that the person who tells you “breakfast is essential every day” or “breakfast is the most important meal” is wrong.

They’re repeating a story that’s handed down from person to person, generation to generation…

However, there could be darker forces at work, too.

Why the food industry hates you to miss breakfast

Myths can work the same way for powerful entities like governments, corporations and financial elites. And not always in a good way.

In a book called Breakfast Is a Dangerous Meal, British biochemist Terence Kealey argues that the breakfast myth is propagated by the food industry.

They make a lot of profit from cereals, breads and pastries, he says. To reinforce the idea that we should fill up for breakfast to live healthy lives, they hammer us with as many studies that back up this claim, while ignoring the many studies that disagree.

They say that any breakfast is healthier than no breakfast at all – which helps them to sell those “on the go” cereal bars and other quick fix carb-filled snacks.

But Kealey says that eating NOTHING for breakfast is preferable to what most of us eat. Because many carbohydrate-rich breakfasts lead to blood sugar spikes and stronger food cravings later in the day.

He recommends a bowl of fruit or even a modest fry up (without bread) if you are hungry in the morning.

However, if you aren’t, he suggests trying a fast where you skip breakfast, eat lunch and a meal in the early evening, then don’t eat again for 16 hours.

This will only be healthy, of course, if you eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruit, vegetables, and nuts.

As well as Kealey’s suggestion, there are two other popular fasting methods:

The 5:2 Method – eat normally for five days in the week, but on two separate days only eat 600 calories (men) and 500 calories (women).

The 24-hour fast. You simply choose one day a week in which you don’t eat. You can drink coffee, tea, juices and water but that’s it. The advice is that in the non-fasting days you should eat normally (although if you want to lose weight then avoid fast food, ready meals and too much sugar).

Of course, if you enjoy breakfast, then carry on. It’s not a problem at all. But if you eat fairly healthily in general, then don’t beat yourself up about missing breakfast and don’t force yourself to eat in the morning if you’re not hungry.
Finally today…

Soap Nuts are BACK!

We’ve had a few enquiries about soap nuts recently, as we ran out of stock. They’re very popular and for good reason. These are a 100% natural alternative to chemical laundry detergent and cleansers – and the really work.
Anyway, just to let you know, they’re back in stock!

Click here to try soap nut shells for doing your laundry. You can use them in any washing machine and there are benefits if you suffer from eczema, psoriasis or dermatitis.

Or Click here to check out nut soap, a liquid form which can be used for laundry, dirty dishes, pets and floors as well as your face, hands and body.

That’s it for today. Please look out for an email from me on Sunday about a brand new health breakthrough that I’ve been dying to share with you for many months.

It has been controversial in the past, but finally it is becoming available, with amazing benefits for your general health.

If you enjoyed this issue of The Good Life Letter then why not get these letters delivered fresh to your inbox every week? They’re completely FREE. To join up now, simply enter your email address below:

Title

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

Please rest assured, we will never pass your email address to any other company. These emails are free and without obligation. You can unsubscribe any time you choose.